Ecuador declares emergency rule in major port to combat crime

Ecuador on Saturday declared a state of emergency in the nation's major port and other areas reeling from drug-related crime. Last year, Lasso declared similar temporary states of emergency three times for Guayaquil, which has faced a sharp spike in organized-crime-related killings. Ecuador on Saturday declared a state of emergency in the nation's major port and other areas reeling from drug-related crime. Last year, Lasso declared similar temporary states of emergency three times for Guayaquil, which has faced a sharp spike in organized-crime-related killings. The nation has become a major drug distribution center for narcotics bound for the United States and Europe.